Heart-string Yank Job

When I first saw the preview for the documentary “Being Elmo” I knew I wanted to see it. As many children of the 80’s I grew up on Sesame Street and The Muppets and have a nostalgic fondness for the characters and perhaps even puppets in general. The film is entirely based around Puppeteer Kevin Clash’s journey from inventive child (though often called a weirdo cause he played with “dolls”) to the man that created the voice and personality of the creature that thousands of children call Elmo.  Despite the focus on Clash, there is also good info on Jim Henson and in general the close knit clan of puppeteers that made so many Muppet driven projects (Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal) possible.

The documentary focuses of two things: First, what is means to be a puppeteer and second, the influence the (m)puppets have on their audience.

The film jumps back in forth between Kevin the boy with a felt and googley eyed dream and Kevin as the most in demand puppeteer out there. In one scene we see him rehashing the details of stealing his father’s lamb skinned coat to make his first creation and in another he in France, teaching the cast of the French Sesame Street how to move their puppets more natural, so that they are more convincing to children as real things.  Through the back in forth we the viewer start to conceptualize what it truly means to be in this unique profession. Shot after shot you see a bunch of people huddled together doing strange voices behind a prop of set and it is amazing to see that this is actually what some people so day in and day out. I starred in awe but was also wondering if they ever get wicked shoulder or hand cramps, god forbid laryngitis.

Disney has known this for awhile-- give an animal or object a great personality and cute voice and you have those kids on a fish hook. I could go on at length about a child’s relationship to their toys or characters they see on TV but it’s very obvious in the film and in real life that kids attraction to Elmo is pure. Elmo does not yell at you when you are bad, he shows you all sweet as fuck how “in general” we can be better kids through practicing kindness, sharing, understanding and empathy. He is the goddamn Tony Robbins of puppets. Elmo gives hugs and kisses and laughs and even if you are a Scrooge and it annoys you, it is something that kids need when they cannot understand why the bad emotions have to be apart of life too. Clash cares deeply about kids and you can see through his efforts. Elmo does not have to visit sick kids in the hospital if he does not want to, but he does. I just about lost my shit when a little sick boy gets to finally meet Elmo and the joy on his face is so real, then they hug and it’s the waterworks. Damn you ELMO!

Some other interesting facts, while Kevin makes a great deal of his own (m)puppets he did not actually make Elmo. Elmo was a pre-existing Muppet whose voice used to sound like a caveman and frankly acted like one instead of the lovey dovey red best friend you never had he is now.  I’m glad that one day that other guy threw Elmo over to Kevin and said “see what you can do with him.”

Oh he showed us, and it has been an amazing ride ever since, sans Tickle Me Elmo. Sorry Kevin.